Comfort food at it’s finest. Hearty, toasty, savory, and simple to bring together. A cast iron cottage pie is made with ground beef, plenty of vegetables and mashed potatoes. I took it over the top with creamy roasted garlic parmesan mashed potatoes.

Rich and flavorful cottage pie is a delicious, traditional meal that is perfect for a hungry family or get together. It’s perfect for a cold winters evening, or even a sunny spring Sunday brunch. This best cottage pie recipe is full of of savory ingredients you likely already have at home, this is a great recipe to keep in mind for your loved ones.

Why you’ll love it!

I used ground beef as our the base and alongside tomato paste, garlic, and fresh herbs for lots of flavor. Flour, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce come together to create a gravy, and corn, carrots, celery and peas add some vibrance to this rich meat & potatoes dish. For the mashed potatoes, I wanted them to be as creamy, fluffy and full of flavor as possible, so I used parmesan cheese and roasted garlic. Lastly, I finished baking this cast iron cotttage pie in the broiler to give it a golden crust.

Using the cast-iron skillet as our sautéing, baking, and serving pan made preparing and serving this dish easier. There are a few steps in this recipe from making mashed potatoes to making a flavorful gravy for your ground beef, so by doing most of the work in one skillet, I could worry less about dishes and more about desert.

Where does “cottage pie” come from?

The name “cottage pie” was first used at the end of the 18th century. During this time, people who lived in the country began consuming potatoes as a staple in their diet. In many regions, any kind of meat and mashed potato pie is still referred to as cottage pie. In modern Britain, cottage pie is referred to a dish made with ground beef and mashed potatoes, where as shepherds pie is made with lamb. Many variations of the recipe exist, including replacing meat all together with vegetables, and including more vegetables like lentils or mushrooms.

What is the difference between cottage pie and shepard’s pie?

A few years ago I saw “cottage pie” served on a television show, and it struck my curiosity. I decided to look it up. It sounded promising, so I put the basic ingredients on my shopping list for the week. When I told my husband what I planned to make, he insisted it was the same as Shepards pie. My understanding is that the names may be used interchangeably depending on your region, but most commonly – the difference is that cottage pie is made with ground beef while shepard’s pie is made with lamb. I used ground beef in this recipe.

Ingredients in this cast iron cottage pie recipe

For the garlic parmesan mashed potatoes:

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 stick of salted butter
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 head garlic
salt and pepper

For the ground beef filling

1 ½ pounds 93 percent lean ground beef

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons worestershire sauce
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
2 stalks celery

overhead image of spoon scooping out cottage pie

Notes:

Use lean beef to prevent a soggy cottage pie!